Ok, we’ve all been there. You visit your back-pain professional, skip off with your list of exercises to do at home and what happens next is common of probably 90% of clients. Yep, that’s right, the list stays stuck to the fridge/pinned to the notice board/shoved at the bottom of a bag never to be looked at again.
And we get it, we’re busy folk. With all those balls we have to juggle, it’s amazing we remember to brush our teeth every day, let alone spend 10 minutes stretching, rolling and bending our body into unnatural positions.
So, when we work with clients on our programmes, we incorporate exercises into their daily lives, so they don’t have to take time out to do their homework and can strengthen their core whilst going about their business. Exercise without thinking about it – sounds good, right?
Try working these 5 simple hacks into your life to strengthen your core and reduce back pain
1. Whilst getting a cuppa
As you lift the kettle, fire up your core (scroll down to see Andy explaining how to do this) and keep the muscles engaged as you lift. Regular tea drinkers rejoice – look forward to a core of steel
2. Whilst out shopping
When carrying bags, focus on standing tall and not leaning to one side. Again, engage your core and as you walk, try your hardest to right your body as it tries to lean towards the heaviest side.
3. Whilst walking
Stand tall and swing your arms gently to change your centre of gravity. As you do so, engage your core and keep your shoulders back and down.
4. Whilst lifting the kids
Engage your core (am I getting across how important this is yet?) and bend your legs and let all the strength come from your midsection. If you hold your child on your hip, really try not to bend your hip to the side – hard I know – but instead, maintain your neutral spine position and a strong stance.
5. Whilst loading the washing machine
If you have back pain or a weak core, this is the one which can get you. Really concentrate on the engagement and contraction as you load the machine and try as hard as you can not to bend and twist at the same time. Kneel, engage and then load the clothes.